I can see it a number of ways. As a former coach at the collegiate club level, I don't appreciate what he did...but also realize that college hockey is not for everyone. Reid appears to be at a crossroads in his career where he felt that he needed more game experience than the NCAA could give him and saw this opportunity as the best route to take the next step in his development.

In Portland, Reid is playing 3-4 games per week as opposed to 1-2 per week in the NCAA. As I wrote earlier, during their first rookie camp together, Reid (#83) and Craig Smith (#81) caught my eye as guys with a a good frame that needed filling out and a lot of raw skill. We know what Craig Smith has done, but we also know that Reid spent last summer training in Vancouver to increase his strength & speed and has filled in some of his lanky frame. I think he might be a different player now than what he was when he was drafted and simply feels that playing for an NHL coach in Mike Johnston on a top junior team might be best for him to continue developing right now.

It hurt SCSU. There is no doubt about that, they had to play a defenseman up front this past week I believe due to a lack of healthy forwards, but as for his professional prospects, I'm not sure I'd write him off at all. IIRC, he informed SCSU that he was considering this opportunity, they made their case, and he chose to pursue it. As a prospect grows up and changes his mind on a commitment he made as an 18 year old when he turns 20, I'm not going to hold it against him as a character flaw unless there is a pattern there of waffling or indecision.